Flexible shafting



Patented Oct. 30, 1945 s laifrlazlv'r OFFICE A FLEXIBLE SHAFTING George G. Eisenbeis, Conklin, N. Y., assignor to Stow Manufacturing Co., New corporation of New York York, N. Y., a

Application March 3, 1944, Serial No. 524,958

s Claims. (c1. 30s-36.2)

This invention relates to improvements in flexible` shafting, and more particularly to a combined deck-plate or bulkhead'itting and flexible shafting terminal assembly for carrying a ilexf ible shaft drive-fitting through a deck or bulkhead, for example, and to provide a deck station at which power may be applied to the shaft.

As is well known, flexible shafting is widely used on shipboard for the transmission of power and for the remote control of` mechanisms operating from a distance. One of the difficulties of the prior constructions has been the failure to provide a simple and satisfactory terminal assembly which can be installed at any given angle with the deck of a ship or other structure through which the terminal passes. to Ahave the shaft terminal inclined to the deck or bulkhead, irregularly shaped or elliptical openings requiring `specialtechnique or involving extraman hours Were usually employed. One ob- Where it is required lect of the invention is to provide` an angularly adjustable deck-plate or bulkhead fitting and terminal assembly which can be `mounted at various inclinations relative to a deck or bulkhead provided with a circular opening for the terminal, and thereupon secured to the deck plate or bulkhead as by welding.

Another difficulty encountered in the prior constructions was that the deck mounting .and ilex-` ible shaft terminal were made of separate parts. The present invention contemplates a combination deck-plate or bulkhead fitting and flexible shaft terminal incorporated into a unitary self` contained structural assembly of simple design capable of economical installation.

It is a further object ofthe invention to provide a flexible shaftterminal capable'` of locating the shaft during assembly, and thereupon of permitting free rotation of the shaft While at the same time definitely and positively restraining the shaft from axial displacement. According to a further object the terminal assembly as aforesaid incorporates a novel arrangement o f shaft packing which functions to prevent leakage of water through the terminal.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out in connection with the following analysis of the invention wherein isillustrated one embodiment of the invention in detail. l

In the drawing: ,l v. A The gure is a longitudinal part section of the deck or bulkhead terminal assembly according to the invention.

Referring to the, drawing, reference character r I indicates a conventional flexible shaft core comprising, for example, a plurality of superimposed layers of wire helically wound on a central Wire, and being enclosed within the usual flexible metal casingl, in which the core is free to rotate.

Shaft core I terminates in a rod-type drive iitting 3 which, as shown, has its end reduced as at 4 to receive a hand wheel (not shown) or equivalent driving means. Intermediate its ends the rod tting is provided with a shoulder E, preferably formed integrally therewith, for the purpose to be described.

According to the invention, the core I and fitting 3 extends through a tubular sleeve 6 of suitable metal such as steel, which constitutes a deck` plate or bulkhead fitting sleeve, to one end of which the casing 2 is interiorly secured as by soldering. Sleeve 6 is adapted to extend through a deck plate or bulkhead I0 and, with the flexible shaft core and its drive fitting' 3 extending through the sleeve, the latter thus provides a means for carrying the shaft through the bulkhead or deck plate, so that the drive fitting 3 is readily accessible from the relatively outer or weather side thereof,` thereby to provide a deck `station from which the shaft may be operated.

To permit connection of the sleeve to the plate or vvall I0 at any required angle without the necessity of a specially shaped opening through the latter, the sleeve intermediate its ends is provided with a part-spherical enlargement l,

Y whereby in passing through a circularly formed opening II in the plate or wall, the sleeve may be adjusted to a desired angular relationship therewith in the'manner of a ball joint. Hence, the plate and sleeve may have right-angular relationship as shown in the drawing, or the sleeve may be inclined to the plate atany angle, within the obvious limitation of a sleeve to plate mounting, required for a particular installation as typied by the dotted line relationship of plate to sleeve, Upon the sleeve being initially adjusted, it is flxedly secured to the plate or Wall as by welding.

The invention also provides means for packing the shaft fitting 3 within the sleeve so as to preclude leakage through the terminal, provision being'also made to restrain the fitting and hence the core I against axial displacement relative tov the sleeve. To these ends the relatively outer or Weather end of the sleeve is exteriorly threaded to receive a securing nut I2 formed withan inwardly directed end ilange I3, and a lock nut I4 for locking the securing nut in position on the sleeve. The end flange I3 engages against the open-sided ring groove for the rod shoulder 5.

This groove is in eifect closed at its open fsi'de by a gland rlng I9 surrounding the fitting, one end face of which bears against the flange iof the thrust washer I8. The width and depth Aof the groove formed by the arrangement of thrust washer and gland ring as aforesaifdis such :as to provide turning clearance for the rod shoulder1l it being understood that the thrust washer I8 serves e t preclude VVaxial movement l of the fitting to `the-left `in the drawing. The engaging-surfaces of therod collarfwasher and ring-are supplied -with lubricant through a ,grease fitting ,720 substantially aslshown.

. Topreventleakage-through-theterminal, packing in the nature of -aY-pluralty of packingrings ZI, which advantageously can be formed from packing material such as Abraided asbestos, are placed around therod fitting inthe space between the k*follower I and vgland ring I9. Preferably, the adjacent end faces of the follower vand gland ring are oppositely beveledas shown, so `thatlthe spacing between end ,faces is 'somewhat 4less at their outer peripheries .than at their inner-peripheries. Hence, as nut I2 is turned to Vforce the follower into the sleeve, the beveled faces of the follower and ugland ring not only compress the packing axially bute-also `constrict the Vpacking radially inwardly into tight engagementwiththe rod vfitting 3, thereby to provide a `vveter-tight joint between sleeve` andtting, l whleat the-same time lpermitting -rotation :of the tting fand :flexible shaft core coupled thereto. `lightening:of nut -lzalso transmits `pressure in axialdirection to the gland-ring I 9 v.to V'force the fsameiinto tight engagement .with 4the thrust YWasher ,I8, .-.thus to securely hold theparts inassembledrelation,.and also to secure the rod'ittihg against'axaldisplacement to ,the right, as shownin gthexdrawing.

A combined 'deck-,plate vfitting and flexible shafting zterminal asdescribed Vand its .shafting may be .assembled compl-.ete ,at V:the 5 factory 4and shipped ready to install. To assemble, theshaft casing :2 is irst soldered to theinner Aend f of the sleeve-6 asshown. The driven :end of :the shaft core is then threaded through the ,thrust .washer I8, and thecore fed into the` sleeve, ,the. washer locating itself againstthe vertical, sleeve-shoulder I6. The operation of feedingxthe-shaftinto the sleeve lis continued until therodshoulder engages the washer, thereby nally `locating the shaft axially relative lto thesleeve. The gland ring I S, the packing rings 2|, and the follower I5 are in that ordernowslipped over the ,free end of the tting V3 and ,are-slid :home intof-the space between thesleeveandtting. vliinallyrtne locking and securing -nuts ,1.2, IA., are threaded on to the .sleeve and, vupon-tightening thereof, Jthe partsare secured vin fnallygassembled posiion.

.'Io install, the combined .ftting 4and terminal is passed rthrough .a ipreformed circular opening 1H provided .in the deck plater or :bulkhead :at fthe d esiredlocation, until the-enlarged, part-spherical portion I of the sleeve is centered in the openpositionwith respect to a bulkhead, deck plate or equivalent wall, the present `fitting and ter- -minalassemblycombines into a single structure i5, 1

'the mounting of the terminal relative to deck- .the :shaft Aterminal and a tting providing for plate :,Qr bulkhead, which previously were made separately. It will be noted also that the novel deck-plate fitting and terminal assembly according to ,theinvention incorporates' simple and'practicalmeansfor positivelylocatingithe shaft-axiallyfrelative-tothe terminal'as wellwas forrestraning Athe shaft Aagainst .axial displacement when finally located Moreover, thefttingeand terminal assemblylof the inventionincorporates effective yet :simple :means of packing Athe shaft', thereby yto Aprevent leakage of water :throughthe terminal, an 4important considerationwhen the deck-stationk is open t0ltheweather.V f f -As 'many-changes could beimadelin lcarryingout the above construction l`without departing fromfthescope ofthe invention, itisintendedithat al1 'matter contained in the above description or showniin the accompanying fdrawing 4shallzbe for .exble ishafting vof'jthe'type having a rotaryV interpreted Aas.illustrative and not a Tlimiting sense. f ,Lolairnr Y -1, Acombined deck-,platetting yand terminal power transmitting score enclosed within a ycas-A ing `corrlplising a 'tubular sleeve adapted vto lextendlthrough afcircular openingformed'in-adecki plate `and A:being providedintermediate its :ends

with an enlarged diameter part-spherical por-Y tion. 4adapted .to be rltted 1in :said openingfanel which provides for therzmounting of .the sleeve at .any one Lof various A-"inclinationsV 'relative fto deck-.plate :required 'for'la particular 4ins-tallation,:the.shafting casing being vlaiiixed -to one'en'd of .the sleeve, the fshafting core extending into said sleeve `and terminating in adi-give Aiitting' therefor, `,one end fof thedrive `fitti-ng Yprojecting through `the other -end of the sleeve l'and "being adapted to receive coredriving Ameans,fand means contained in said fotherr-end-portion-of. the sleeve for :securing-ithe drive` fitting axially lrelative rte said sleeve, and' :for .providing a water-tight j cint between the sleeve and drive fitting.

l2. .Aeombmed .deck-plate 1i-tung and" termina for flexible shaftingfof power transmitting core enclosed `within --a casing comprising :a tubular 4sleeve/adapted -tov extend through ends .with an .enlarged diameter `*part-spherical portionadaptedfto be ilttedin said-opening and which v.provides for the mounting .of the sleeve atv any :ione 4of ,various inclinations relative-to tion, the shafting casing being afHxed-tofonev end of the sleeve, the .,shaftingcore"extendingiinto sai'cli1sle'eve an, terminating iin a; drive fitting? with an external sholdenicne therefor provided drive fitting projecting through :the other end of the sleeve and being adaptedto re- 'the typehaving -a rotary la circular opening `formed -in a deck-plate and being vprovided 'i-ntermediatefits" required for a particular installa-1 `and for providing a. water-tight joint between sleeve and drive-fitting.

3. A combined deck-plate fitting and terminal for flexible shafting of the type having a rotary power transmitting core enclosed within a cas ing comprising a tubular sleeve adapted to extend through a circular opening formed in a deck-plate and being provided intermediate its ends with an enlarged diameter part-spherical portion adapted to be tted in said opening and which provides for the mounting of the sleeve at any one of various inclinations relative to deck-plate as required for a particular installation, the shafting casing being affixed to one end of the sleeve, the shafting core extending into said sleeve and terminating in a drive fitting therefor provided with an external shoulder, one end of the 'drive iitting projecting through the other end of the sleeve and being adapted to receive core driving means, the bore of the sleeve in its said other end portion being formed with an internal abutment shoulder, and means contained in said bore portion and cooperating with said tting collar and abutment shoulder for securing the drive tting axially relative to said sleeve and for providing a water-tight joint between sleeve and drive tting.

GEORGE G. EISENBEIS. 

